Eldridge, 61, was elected four years ago to the mayor post. He has the distinction of serving as the first mayor of Windham, after a 2007 charter revision that changed Windham from a first selectman/board of selectmen to a mayor/town council form of government.

In the 2009 election, Niles, a Democrat, placed second to Eldridge in a 4-way race.

Niles, 59, is a member of the Windham Town Council, representing the service district. She has for more than 20 years been a senior legislative assistant for the Connecticut General Assembly.

Eldridge runs E.S. Eldridge Auctions in Willimantic.

Because of an oversight concerning paperwork that third party candidates are required by the state to sign, Eldridge’s name almost did not appear on Tuesday’s ballot, along with those of the other seven Bottom Line candidates. A Superior Court judge on Oct. 28 ordered the candidates’ names be returned to the ballot.